Tuesday, February 03, 2004
ISLANDERS 5, CANUCKS 4 (OT)
Losing to the Rangers and then blowing a 3-1 lead with 4:15 remaining in the third period against the Islanders is a hell of a way to follow up a five-game winning streak.
Canuck color man Tom Larscheid said the Canucks played 55 perfect minutes of hockey -- exactly how an NHL team should play on the road. After that, the game just went to hell. It took the Islanders a mere 2:17 to score three goals and TAKE THE LEAD. The Canucks got lucky and were able to tie the game on a Henrik Sedin goal with 1:22 left and held on to pocket the point in the standings.
The Canucks seemed to be righting the wrongs of the night before against the Rangers. Like Larscheid said, it appeared for 55 minutes that the Canucks were on the fast track to two points.
The late lapse overshadowed a good game in which resident tough guy Wade Brookbank got a goal streak going and Manitoba Moose callup Martin Grenier scored his first goal. Both of the Sedin twins scored goals also, and the Canucks have an outrageously good record when both of the twins hit the scoresheet. They didn't add to it tonight.
Canuck play-by-play man John Shorthouse and Larscheid were on after the game and pointed out some other things...Johan Hedberg wasn't seeing a lot of action tonight, and he had only faced two Islander shots in the third period before the Czerkawski goal (15:45 into the 3rd) was scored to make it 3-2 Canucks. Jarkko Ruutu coughed up the puck that led to the Michael Peca goal that put the Isles up 4-3 with 1:58 left in regulation. Peca and Czerkawski had their names on all three of the Isles' goals in the third period (three points apiece). I'm not sure anymore whether I hate inept goaltending or defensive giveaways more. The Canucks hung on for the tie, but the Trevor Linden blood-drawing high-stick (blood makes it a four-minute penalty) with 57 seconds left in regulation pretty much dashed the Canucks' hopes to get an overtime win out of it. In a weird turn of events, though the Vancouver power play has picked up of late (though not tonight), the penalty-killing unit has dropped off a bit lately, as they've gotten stung for goals on three of their last nine penalties. Defensemen Bryan Allen and Sami Salo were both minus-3s tonight. Yecch.
Canuck goals: Martin Grenier (1), Wade Brookbank (2), Daniel Sedin (8), Henrik Sedin (8)
They got the single point, but sheesh...they had a two-goal lead with 4:15 left and were behind 2:17 later!! Pathetic!! As a growing proportion of Canuck fans are realizing, this team is not an elite hockey team. Yet. Elite hockey teams don't drop these kinds of games. This team's my best hope for a championship right now, though, so I gotta stick with 'em. Oh yeah, the game-winner was scored by Adrian Aucoin on a rocket shot. Former Canuck, that guy.
Canucks at Devils Thursday. Yikes.
Canuck color man Tom Larscheid said the Canucks played 55 perfect minutes of hockey -- exactly how an NHL team should play on the road. After that, the game just went to hell. It took the Islanders a mere 2:17 to score three goals and TAKE THE LEAD. The Canucks got lucky and were able to tie the game on a Henrik Sedin goal with 1:22 left and held on to pocket the point in the standings.
The Canucks seemed to be righting the wrongs of the night before against the Rangers. Like Larscheid said, it appeared for 55 minutes that the Canucks were on the fast track to two points.
The late lapse overshadowed a good game in which resident tough guy Wade Brookbank got a goal streak going and Manitoba Moose callup Martin Grenier scored his first goal. Both of the Sedin twins scored goals also, and the Canucks have an outrageously good record when both of the twins hit the scoresheet. They didn't add to it tonight.
Canuck play-by-play man John Shorthouse and Larscheid were on after the game and pointed out some other things...Johan Hedberg wasn't seeing a lot of action tonight, and he had only faced two Islander shots in the third period before the Czerkawski goal (15:45 into the 3rd) was scored to make it 3-2 Canucks. Jarkko Ruutu coughed up the puck that led to the Michael Peca goal that put the Isles up 4-3 with 1:58 left in regulation. Peca and Czerkawski had their names on all three of the Isles' goals in the third period (three points apiece). I'm not sure anymore whether I hate inept goaltending or defensive giveaways more. The Canucks hung on for the tie, but the Trevor Linden blood-drawing high-stick (blood makes it a four-minute penalty) with 57 seconds left in regulation pretty much dashed the Canucks' hopes to get an overtime win out of it. In a weird turn of events, though the Vancouver power play has picked up of late (though not tonight), the penalty-killing unit has dropped off a bit lately, as they've gotten stung for goals on three of their last nine penalties. Defensemen Bryan Allen and Sami Salo were both minus-3s tonight. Yecch.
Canuck goals: Martin Grenier (1), Wade Brookbank (2), Daniel Sedin (8), Henrik Sedin (8)
They got the single point, but sheesh...they had a two-goal lead with 4:15 left and were behind 2:17 later!! Pathetic!! As a growing proportion of Canuck fans are realizing, this team is not an elite hockey team. Yet. Elite hockey teams don't drop these kinds of games. This team's my best hope for a championship right now, though, so I gotta stick with 'em. Oh yeah, the game-winner was scored by Adrian Aucoin on a rocket shot. Former Canuck, that guy.
Canucks at Devils Thursday. Yikes.
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